Gochisousama!
by ChibiChiisai
Summary: Putting Hisoka in the kitchen with the Hokkaido twins makes for a recipe for disaster. What are his intentions? And is it worth the trouble? Thanksgiving one-shot between Hisoka and Tsuzuki. Rated T just to be safe.


Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to claim Inu-Tsuzuki and the rest of the characters as my own, I do not. Yami no Matsuei belongs to Yoko Matsushita.

Author's Notes: I took a quick break from my other fanfic, and seeing as how Thanksgiving is almost here, I thought to write a short story about Hisoka and Tsuzuki. And of course, Yuma and Saya play a huge role in this story - they don't get enough face time, I think. If you don't know what the title means, it's usually a polite phrase said after enjoying a meal. That said, this is my attempt at the "warm and fuzzy feelings" genre. Enjoy! And review!

* * *

"I don't know about this. My kitchen's small, I have no prior experience with cooking, and it's highly probable that this will poison him," Hisoka stated firmly, giving due warning to the girls' idea of him taking on the role of a patissier for the day.

Yuma exclaimed, "Just think about how happy he'll be when he finds out that you made it especially for him!"

"Besides, you can't show up to a potluck empty-handed. It's rude and impolite to not bring a dish with you!" Saya retorted, folding a hand on her hip and pointing at the boy's nose.

"But-!"

"No buts about it! It's settled. You're baking Tsuzuki's favorite dessert and we're going to help you every step of the way," Yuma concluded in a matter-of-fact tone, "With us to support you, you'll have nothing to worry about!"

Saya giggled as she rolled up her sleeves, picking up a bag of flour. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's get down and dirty!"

* * *

"Don't you think this is a little bit over the top?" Hisoka scowled at the gift that the two girls had offered him. One look at what they brought out made him regret asking for their help.

Yuma held up a baby-pink frilly apron, lined with chantilly lace while Saya showcased a rose-colored hair scarf over her long curls to match, also wearing tickle-me-pink terrycloth slippers to complete the ensemble.

"It's in the newest fall issue of Pinkhouse, the charming housewife edition! Isn't this the cutest outfit you've ever seen, Saya?"

"I almost feel jealous of Hisoka," she replied, bringing both palms up to cup either side of her blushing face while fixating at the apron, "But since it's for a good cause, I guess I'll let it slip this time. He'll look much better in it than me anyway," she rubbed the side of her head and grinned sheepishly.

"What good cause? It's Tsuzuki, for god's sake! I'm not some happy-go-lucky housewife of his!" he snapped angrily, refusing to take part in their trivial dress-up game. He should have seen it coming to him sooner. What kind of an empath was he if he couldn't even foresee this happening?

Turning his nose at the outfit that was placed in front of him, he walked over to the cabinets and began sorting through the list of ingredients he needed, once again reiterating the obvious. "I'm not putting that on and that's final."

He was definitely the type to need a couple of convincing words in order to push him on the right track. Both girls looked at each other with mischievous sparks in their eyes. None too difficult a task, they thought. Yuma began crawling up to Hisoka's right side, slinking her arm around his as he reached for a container of sugar sitting on the shelf.

"Hisoka, you want to be able to do this correct the first time, right?"

He turned his head around, giving her a look of confusion. "What?"

She continued. "If you pour all your heart and soul into making this pie, it'll show in the final product. Which means, if you start this project without the proper tools to begin with, your dessert will lack that key essential ingredient it really needs to shine, you know?"

He furrowed his brows, even more clueless than before. What was she talking about? Saya took immediate notice of his puzzled face. It was time to do her part. She crept up to Hisoka's other side, poking her head out in front of him from behind his shoulder.

"She means love, you silly! If you want him to really appreciate your cooking, you've got to put your all into it," she added another sentence before he could interrupt, "And that includes making sure that you do everything within your ability to put in a hundred-and-ten percent."

His eyes fell back to the apron sitting on a lonely chair. He doubted that Tsuzuki would be able to taste whether or not he had the dumb outfit on while assembling the pie. For some odd reason though, the girls did have a point. He didn't want his dessert to taste mediocre or just okay; it had to be the best one out there. And if he could do anything to help it, he would give it everything he had. He felt his pride waver ever so slightly as his gaze shifted to the floor.

He was seriously regretting what he was about to do next.

* * *

"Wow, that looks so good," Yuma exclaimed, staring at the bronzed pie as it came out of the oven, its slits releasing waves of steamy apple-y goodness.

"Smells delicious, too!" Saya added.

"Does it look alright?"

"It's better than alright, it looks simply amazing! Tsuzuki's such a lucky guy to have Hisoka as his partner," she whined as she clamped her arms around Yuma's. The two girls continued in their little argument over who treated who better, leaving Hisoka to ponder on his own thoughts.

He broke out a tiny smile as he looked down at his own creation. He wasn't expecting to be praised so highly. Thinking back to where he first started, it was actually worth the effort to go out of his way and do something for Tsuzuki as his way of showing how much he cared. After all the times that he took him under his wing and cheered him up when he was feeling under the weather, baking a pie was nothing compared to that.

_I wonder if he'll like this_, he thought with anticipation.

"Ah! It's almost time to go to the party! We've got to wrap up that pie nicely so it'll look presentable," Saya cried out as she peeked at the kitchen clock and ended their quarrel, quickly rushing off to get a box and find some string.

"Not to mention, change out of our clothes into something more...dinner appropriate?" Yuma suggested as she checked out Hisoka from top to bottom, flashing him a snobbish grin, "Although if you want to wear that outfit, I'm sure your boyfriend would be more than fine with that," she winked.

He blushed a brilliant red as he looked down at himself, realizing that he was still in his horrible getup. "Shut up!"

* * *

Everyone was already present at the reception, conversing with each other while helping themselves to food from the elegant buffet table in the middle of the dining hall. Tsuzuki was already on his second helping of food, and about to move onto his third when he heard multiple footsteps making their way into the lobby.

"Hisoka, you finally made it! I was starting to think that you wouldn't show up," Tsuzuki stood up to greet the girls that were by his side, complimenting them on their dresses and embracing them in a warm hug, "Yuma, Saya! It's great to see you two again!"

"Sorry that we're so late. We had to hold up Hisoka to ask for his opinion on what to wear," Yuma explained as she ruffled up the boy's hair, much to his displeasure.

"I see," Tsuzuki chuckled, "Well now that we're all here, let's get you seated and find something to eat, shall we?" He slung his arms over both girls by their shoulder and proceeded to show them to their table.

"Tsuzuki."

He turned around, looking back at his partner. "Yeah?"

"We'll just leave you two alone," Saya giggled, motioning quickly for their leave.

Hisoka bowed his head low, hands trembling as he lifted up a white box wrapped with a lavender-colored bow, pushing it softly against Tsuzuki's chest. He could feel his cheeks warm ever so slightly. "This is for you."

"For me?" Accepting the offering, he blinked surprisingly at Hisoka, shifting his gaze down to the box in his hands, and back up at him. "Is it okay if I open it now?" he asked, pointing to the gift.

He replied with a detached shrug, "Do what you want."

Tsuzuki moved over to a nearby table and set the package down, carefully tugging at the ends of the ribbon. Hisoka watched and waited, not knowing what type of response he would get from the man. He made it appear as it was nothing to be surprised about, but in all actuality, he had an extreme case of the butterflies. He fiddled around with the cuffs of his sleeve impatiently, holding his breath as he opened the box.

"Hisoka, you made this?" Nestled inside the box was a golden-brown pie, its aroma of cinnamon-scented apples leaking from the carved slits. "How did you...?" he trailed off, "Why?" He raised his head and looked up at him questionably.

The boy sighed. He knew that he wouldn't like it. "I'm not good with the oven and the girls insisted on me doing this," his hands fell to his side, clenching tightly into fists as he rambled on, "I don't know how it tastes and I'm just giving you fair warning that it might give you a stomach ache, so-"

"What are you talking about? It smells really yummy," he quickly changed the mood and picked up a nearby knife, pausing before he continued to cut off a portion, "You don't mind if I help myself?"

Hisoka was taken aback by his reply. "Go ahead," he gestured as he continued to stare at his back, waiting for his feedback yet again.

He watched as he drove a fork into the glossy crust, piercing its flaky layers one by one, moving to jab at the rows of caramelized apples, each one releasing a myriad of runny juices all over the plate. Tsuzuki slowly brought the fork up to his parted lips, the scent of the spiced apples so close he could almost taste it. The texture of the crust was crumbly, the fillings not too sweet so as to overpower the apples' nature, with a slight tang of sourness at the end that jolted up his palate. He swallowed it quickly, the aftertaste, akin to warm applesauce, still present on his tongue.

"H-how is it?" Hisoka asked in a low tone, snapping him out of his reverie. The wait was killing him.

"You really made this?" Tsuzuki asked again, plunging his fork to grab a larger piece, "It's very well made! Saying that it's delicious would be an understatement."

He raised a wary brow. "You're not just saying that out of politeness, are you?"

"Why would I do that? I love it!" he smiled at him genuinely, "I know it must have been difficult for you, but believe me when I say that this apple pie is the best one I've had in a long time. And the fact that you made it for me makes it taste that much better. Sankyuu, Hisoka." Tsuzuki leaned in his body towards him and tilted his head, his hair barely tickling Hisoka's face. Ever so gently, he pressed his apple-flavored lips against his cheek, eliciting a flushed reaction from him.

He knew very well that Tsuzuki wasn't one to lie. More often than not, almost everything that he said was spoken with true conviction. But to go so far as to move in for a kiss...? Hisoka's emotions burst with happiness and excitement.

"I'm glad you like it," he whispered as he lowered his head, unable to hold his gaze. He didn't know what to do with himself at that moment. All he could feel was this blazing heat; his sight was glazed over, his hearing subdued.

"Mmph, Hisoka...do you want some?" Tsuzuki asked with a mouthful of pie, gesturing his plate towards him. It didn't take him long to focus his attention back on his dessert.

Hisoka got over his daze and responded with a shake of his head, the sides of his lips curving up ever so slightly. It was more than enough to watch Tsuzuki enjoying something he had made for him. It was all that he could ask for.

The purpose of this holiday is to reflect back on everything that happened during the past year and to show your appreciation. What was Hisoka thankful for? That wasn't a difficult question to answer. He glanced over at a contented Tsuzuki helping himself to a second slice, making a much larger cut in the pie this time around. Seeing this brought a full warmhearted smile to his face.

Indeed, this was an easy answer.

_...thank you, Tsuzuki. For everything._

* * *

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Now if only I can gather enough courage to write an angsty Muraki x Tsuzuki fanfic! -scribbles it down on her X-mas wish list-


End file.
